“Thanks! but I cannot come to tea. I have not got my sugar card with me!” said a Christian man who, passing through a provincial town, was invited home by an old friend.
“I don’t want your sugar card, or anything else, except yourself,” was the reply. “And you have accepted another invitation on those terms, I know!”
“Ah, that I have! Yes, I’ll come, please God”! Reader, have you accepted “another imitation on those terms,” i.e., that you come just as you are, bringing nothing but yourself?
Whose is that invitation? To what is it? And is it for you? It is: listen—
“Ho! everyone that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money, come ye, buy and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money, and without price. Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labor for that which satisfieth not? Hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness” (Isaiah 55:1, 21Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. 2Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labor for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. (Isaiah 55:1‑2)).
For “the kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son, and sent forth his servants... saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready; come unto the marriage” (Matthew 22:2-42The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son, 3And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come. 4Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage. (Matthew 22:2‑4)).
Is that not enough? Hush! “He that sat upon the throne said... It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life, freely” (Revelation 21:66And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. (Revelation 21:6)).
This is God’s invitation God, the unchanging, unchangeable I AM God upon His throne, for “I am a great King, saith Jehovah of Hosts” (Malachi 1:1414But cursed be the deceiver, which hath in his flock a male, and voweth, and sacrificeth unto the Lord a corrupt thing: for I am a great King, saith the Lord of hosts, and my name is dreadful among the heathen. (Malachi 1:14)). And is it not to you? Are you thirsty? Have you tried earth’s fountains of pleasure and found them bitter, nay, poisoned? Are you penniless? Spent all, perchance, “in riotous living”? (Luke 15:1414And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want. (Luke 15:14)). Or if not so, yet on “physicians of no value” (Luke 8:4343And a woman having an issue of blood twelve years, which had spent all her living upon physicians, neither could be healed of any, (Luke 8:43))?
Oh, take it to yourself and act upon it! Accept that invitation and come as you are, empty handed, with no right, no claim, and
“Naught to plead
In earth below or heaven above,
But just mine own exceeding need
And His exceeding love!”
Come! “He that cometh to Me shall never hunger, and he that believeth on Me shall never thirst” (John 6:3535And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. (John 6:35)). “Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out” (John 6:3737All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. (John 6:37)). For “this is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation (yea, of yours), that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief!”